Rhythm of the Pride Lands
by Liette Rosencrest
Summary: KH/Lion King crossover. Leon and Cloud live in the Outlands. Zira, Cloud's mother has come up with the perfect plan to take the Pride Lands. Unfortunately, it puts Leon in danger and his relationship with Cloud at risk. CloudxLeon Yaoi CLC
1. A Sordid Matter

Title: Rhythm of the Pride Lands

Author: Meru Makai (Yup, changed it. I got sick of Caldera.)

Pairing: CloudxLeon

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Notes: Kovu, Nuka and Kiara don't exist in this story.

I got the title from one of the Lion King CDs.

------------

Chapter one

A Sordid Matter

"Our plans are complete then," Zira Said. "Leon will enter the Pride Lands pretending to be from the jungle and gain Simba and his pride's trust. When he has it, he'll strike, killing that fraud of a king and opening the way for our take over." All of Zira's teeth became visible in a particularly Vicious grin. "We will set our plan into motion tomorrow when the sun sets." \

Zira led the pride of Outlanders, a group of mostly lionesses that had been exiled from the Pride Lands for supporting Scar.

Cloud, a brightly colored lion with a golden mane snickered beside his mother. "How appropriate seeing as the sun will soon be setting on Simba's rule, and will rise on yours."

Cloud was one of Zira's two children and one of the only two males in the pride.

"Very true," Zira said with a laugh. Her eyes fell upon the only member of her pride that wasn't grinning ear to ear. "That is, if Leon doesn't screw it up."

Leon sat, unfazed by the nasty way Zira spoke to him. He was the other male of the pride. In appearance he was almost the complete opposite of Cloud. His fur was dark brown, his mane chocolate brown and he had a scar that ran across his forehead and over the bridge of his nose.

"He won't, Mother," Cloud said, even though he himself wasn't so sure the other male would come through for them. Leon wasn't like the rest of the Outlanders, he didn't have the same drive to take back the Pride Lands. In fact, he didn't seem to have any drive to take the Pride Lands at all.

Leon looked up to where Cloud stood with Zira on a ledge of stone raised from the floor level of the pride's den. When their eyes met, he could see the faith Cloud was putting in him, but he could also see the uncertainties the other male was feeling too.

Zira jumped down from the ledge and walked to Leon, all of the Lionesses moving from her path. "There are only two reasons I've put up with you thus far, Leon. For some reason I'll never understand, Cloud chose you as his mate and unfortunately, you're best suited for this mission."

Zira's words were no surprise to Leon. He had felt the lionesses hateful gaze on him many a time. The fact that her precious son was in love with him didn't help at all. In fact, it made things worse at times. Zira loved to talk down to Leon, and she took pleasure in how hurt he would become when Cloud did little to defend him. "Why me?" he asked, not flinching when Zira moved to sneer in his face. He remanded sitting on his hindquarters, unimpressed.

Leon's indifference to her wrath only fueled Zira's anger. "Because you are the only one the Pridelanders won't recognize as one of us. I was personally exiled with the other lionesses. And Cloud and Vitani have been seen by the king's mate before. That leaves only you."

Leon said nothing.

"Believe me," Zira continued, "I would never trust you with such a crucial matter unless I absolutely had to."

Cloud jumped from the ledge and moved to stand by Leon's side. "Don't worry, Mother. Leon can do this." He sat, putting his arm around the other male's shoulders and smiling at his mom.

Zira stared hard at the picture the two of them made for a few moments. "I don't know why you put so much faith in someone as pathetic as him, Cloud." She made a low displeased sound in her throat and turned to walk away. "I will not accept failure on this mission of most importance, Cloud. If he fails, I will kill him myself." She walked out of the den, her lionesses fallowing.

Leon made a small sound of discomfort. The arm Cloud had around him had tightened and was now squeezing him tightly against the other male's side. "Cloud," he murmured, trying to wiggle out of the vice-like grasp.

Cloud seemed to come out of a trance and released Leon at once, an apologetic look crossing his features. "Sorry, I'm just nervous. We've wanted this so long, and now it finally seems within our reach and...," he trailed off.

"And you're afraid that I'll ruin everything," Leon finished for him.

"I wasn't going to say that," Cloud said.

"But you were thinking it," Leon said. Something flashed in Cloud's eyes and Leon knew he was right.

"I was," Cloud admitted. "But can you blame me? So many things depend on you succeeding, Leon."

"Like our relationship?"

"Like your life," Cloud said quickly.

"You fallow your mother blindly, Cloud. Would you immediately turn your back on me if I failed?"

"I would try to convince mother to let you live."

"You would try?" Leon asked darkly. "Would you even try to stop her if she attacked me? Will I ever be more important to you then her in any matter, or will she always come first?" Emotion had flooded the darker lion's voice.

"She's my mother, Leon!" Cloud shouted, almost roaring. He took a step forward, his stance stiff. "You said you would never make me choose between you and her."

Leon didn't dare make Cloud choose, knowing he'd be on the losing side. And he felt he always would be. His eyes begun to sting, much to his dismay. "So our relationship can only continue if I do this, if I kill someone I've never even seen?" he looked down to hide his rapidly watering eyes. "Love isn't supposed to have conditions like that, Cloud."

"It's not a condition." Cloud leaned down so he could see his mate's eyes. He hated to upset Leon, but he had to draw the line. Until she obtained her dreams, his mother would always have to come first. "This is just something that will make our lives easier." He put one paw over Leon's. "Please do this for me, Leon. Then we can live happily together. Mother's just frustrated, and sometimes she takes it out on you. But she'll stop when she's queen cause she'll be happy, all of us will be. You, me, mother, Vitani and all the lionesses, we'll all be happy."

"Okay." It had taken a lot of effort on Leon's part to keep his voice from shaking.

Cloud's face instantly lit up. He rubbed his head affectionately against Leon's. "You don't know how happy that makes me."

The dark lion stared into the eyes of his mate. He had never seen the other lion's ocean blue eyes so vibrant. He decided then that if this was what he would have to do to make Cloud happy then he would. He would do anything just to make Cloud look at him like that again.

"Come on, let's go tell mother," Cloud said, grinning.

------------

Leon and Cloud were laying on their sides together in a secluded part of the den, away from the rest of the pride. Leon was going to leave the next day and he and Cloud had wanted some time alone before then.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Cloud said, stroking his paw down Leon's side.

"I'll miss you too." Leon stroked Cloud's golden mane with careful paws.

"We'll never have to be apart once we take over the Pride Lands."

Leon had his doubts about that, but said nothing. He didn't want to start a fight and ruin what was most likely their last moment alone together for a while or maybe even forever, if Leon failed.

"Are you nervous?" Cloud asked.

"Of course."

Cloud flipped them over so he was on top of the other. "Are you scared?" He bent his head down to nuzzle Leon's dark mane.

Leon wiggled on his back a little. "No, I trust you."

Cloud laughed, his amused smile flashing sharp teeth. "You know what I mean."

Leon laughed lightly. "Yeah." He gently held Cloud's head between his paws and rubbed their noses together. "I'm afraid I won't be able to do it."

"Why wouldn't you be able to?"

"Well, I'm supposed to gain the king's trust, but what if I start to like him?"

"Just remember what he's done to us."

"That's just it, what has he done to us?"

Cloud looked at Leon as if he were crazy. "He killed Scar and exiled us."

"No, he exiled your mother and the other lionesses that fallowed Scar. He's never done anything to you or me."

Cloud got off of Leon and stood beside the still laying lion. "Isn't that enough for you? He killed the king and took his throne."

Leon rolled onto his stomach and stood up. "But,... Scar killed his own brother to take the throne that wasn't rightfully his."

Cloud gasped. "How can you say that?" Scar hadn't been Cloud's father, but he still respected the deceased lion.

Leon stopped himself before he continued. He was treading heavily on dangerous ground. Plus, he had already decided that he would do anything to make Cloud happy, even if it meant killing a king that had been justified in his actions. "No, never mind. I'm sorry I went on like that. It's just my nerves. But I know I can do this."

Cloud smiled and playfully bumped his head against his mate's. "I can hardly wait."

"Either can I," said Leon, his voice drastically lacking the excitement Cloud's had.

TBC.

------------

Thank you for reading.


	2. Painful Goodbyes

Title: Rhythm of the Pride Lands  
Author: Meru Makai  
Pairing: CloudxLeon  
Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed chapter one. You all rock the fat ass!

------------

Chapter Two  
Painful Goodbyes

Leon made sure to enjoy the beautiful sight the setting sun made on his way to where he was supposed to meet Cloud and Zira before leaving for the Pride Lands. He wouldn't be in the Outlands the next time the sun set. If all went well, he would be seeing it from the Pride Lands. Perhaps it would look even more magnificent from there.

He tore his eyes from the orange sky just in time to stop walking before he ran straight into Vitani. "Hey, elephant ears," he greeted.

Vitani had the biggest ears he had ever seen on a lion. So when she had first teased him about his scar, he had immediately picked out her ears as what to tease her about. But just like their wrestling, their teasing was friendly. He had even once admitted to her that he thought her ears were really cute, and she had admitted to liking his scar.

"Shut up, scar scalp," Vitani shot back with nowhere near as much spirit as she usually did.

Leon had no trouble seeing the difference in his friend's behavior. "What's wrong, Tani?" he asked, frowning.

Vitani looked over her shoulder, half expecting Cloud or Zira to be there to come get Leon. When she was satisfied that they were alone she turned back to the dark lion and spoke in a hushed tone. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"I kind of have to, Tani. I already agreed. If I backed out now, well...," Leon trailed off, knowing there was no need for elaboration.

"Let's run away," Vitani said quickly.

"What?" Leon asked, shocked. Vitani wasn't the type to run away from anything. She always stood her ground and usually faced her problems with a cheeky grin, something Leon admired about her.

"Let's run away together. We can live peacefully in the jungle and never have to deal with all this again. We wouldn't have to live under mother's paw and you wouldn't have to put up with always coming second to your mate."

"Vitani,... that does sound nice," Leon admitted. "But I thought you wanted the Pride Lands too."

"I just want somewhere nice to live," Vitani said. "And even if we do take the Pride Lands, we'll still have to fight Simba's pride."

"But if I kill Simba-"

"There will still be the lionesses to fight."

"True," Leon said softly. He hadn't realized that. He had been hoping that there would only have to be one casualty of them taking the Pride Lands.

"It's obvious you don't want to do this, so why are you? And don't say it's because you're afraid mother will hurt you, cause I know you're not even that scared of her."

"I'm doing this for Cloud."

"Did he force you into this?" Vitani growled.

"Of course not. I choose to do this cause it'll make him happy."

"You would kill someone you believe did no wrong for Cloud?" Vitani asked.

"For Cloud's happiness, yes." Leon took a deep breath and tried to look as sure of himself as he could. "Don't worry, I can do this."

"You're not a murderer, Leon!" Vitani yelled. Her voice was starting to sound horse, a sign that she was becoming emotional.

"I would do anything for Cloud!"

"But he wouldn't do anything for you!" Vitani instantly regretted the words when Leon turned away to hide how hurt he was by them. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"No," Leon said lowly, hurt edging his voice. "Don't apologize for speaking the truth." He knew Cloud loved him, but he was also knew that there were limits to that love. And they all revolved around Zira. "I have to go now."

Vitani watched Leon turn to leave with watering eyes. She took quick steps until she was standing in front of him, halting his departure. "I want to leave this horrible place forever and I know you do too."

"I can't leave here, not without Cloud."

A single tear escaped from Vitani's eye, gliding down her furry cheek. Seconds later, it was followed by others. "But he won't leave mother."

Leon lowered his head, hiding that his eyes were misting over. "I know," he said softly.

"Leon, we could live peaceful lives," Vitani tried again.

Leon walked to the silently crying lioness and sat on his hind legs by her. He lifted his front paws from the ground and embraced her. "I have to go now. But before I do, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity, Vitani. You're the only one that has taken any time at all to consider if I really want to do this or not."

Vitani let the sob she had been holding back go. Mimicking the way Leon sat, she wrapped her arms around the male.

The feel of the wet fur of her cheek on his own made Leon's held back tears finally fall. Their tears mingled as they rested their heads together. They stayed like that for a few precious minutes, until Leon spoke. "Tani, you've always been there to comfort me when I'm upset. Words can't express how sorry I am that I can't do that for you now when you need the favor returned most" Leon pulled away and held Vitani at arms length, locking eyes with her, hoping she could see the sincerity behind his words. "I want you to know that you've become precious to me. I don't know if I would have lasted here without you're comforting words. Thank you, Vitani." He let go of the lioness and ran off without looking back. He didn't want to see the sadness he had caused his dear friend, knowing that he wouldn't be able to sooth it away.

If he lived through this, he swore that someday he would make this up to Vitani.

------------

"It took you long enough," Zira sneered when Leon approached her and Cloud.

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked, noticing how watery his mate's eyes were.

"Yeah." Leon rubbed at his eyes with the top of his paw, leaving the fur slightly damp. "I just had to say goodbye to someone."

"To Vitani no doubt," Zira said with disgust. "It must be some kind of curse on me that both of my children like you."

"Perhaps so." Leon didn't let Zira's words faze him. He wasn't in the mood for that.

Surprisingly, Zira didn't so much as growl at Leon's attitude. Her reaction was much more frightening then that, she smiled. "Our plans have been slightly altered. Cloud and I will enter the Pride Lands with you."

"Why?" asked Leon.

"Because there are certain precautions I feel should be taken." Zira offered no further explanation. She turned away from the two males and begun walking towards the Pride Lands. Leon and Cloud walked behind her a little further back.

Their meeting place had been very close to the Outland borders, so it wasn't long before the barren ground beneath Leon's paws gave way to lush grass.

Zira stopped walking and turned to face the two males. "I need to talk with Cloud about the precautions I want to take. You wait over there, Leon." Zira motioned to a large rock in the distance.

Leon didn't bother trying to hear what they were talking about after he walked away. He sat by the rock and settled for looking around his new surroundings. The grass felt really nice beneath his paws, way better then the dry, dusty ground of the Outlands.

From there he could see Pride Rock closer then he ever had before. It looked even taller then their den in the Outlands now.

Before he could look around more, Cloud walked over to him.

"What kind of precautions are we going to take?" Leon asked.

"I want to talk with you a little before we get to that," Cloud said, looking almost ill. He sat with Leon by the large rock. There were a few tense moments of silence before Cloud finally spoke. "I'm going to miss you so much. It makes me feel guilty."

"Why would missing your mate make you feel guilty?"

"Because you're doing this for the good of us all," Cloud said. "I guess certain sacrifices must be made, though."

"Yeah," Leon said sadly, thinking about the king.

"And certain unpleasant things must be done, right?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah." Leon had a feeling that Cloud wasn't just talking about killing king Simba.

"Yeah," Cloud repeated softly. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"What's wrong, Cloud?" Leon asked.

Cloud lifted one of his brightly colored paws and stroked the side of Leon's face lovingly. He leaned closer, touching his nose to the other male's. "I love you."

"I love you too," Leon answered with no hesitation.

Cloud pulled away slightly and moved his paw to the side of Leon's head. "Forgive me."

Leon didn't get a chance to ask his mate what he wanted forgiveness for. The paw on his head applied sudden pressure and bashed his head into the rock they were standing by. Leon grunted as pain flooded his senses. He fell down, hitting his head on the ground, once again sending a horrendous burst of pain through him.

The silence that fallowed Leon's fall tore Cloud apart. The dark lion made no movement, and a small patch of red was starting to stain his chocolate brown mane. In that moment, Cloud would have given up anything, even his mother's dreams, just to see Leon get up and move around again.

Zira was delighted, the sound of Leon's head hitting the rock had thrilled her. She walked to Cloud and joined him in standing over Leon's unmoving body."Calm down, he's still alive," she said, scoffing at the horrified look on her son's face.

"But he's not moving," Cloud whispered. He hadn't seen Leon move since he hit the ground. Even if he was knocked unconscious, he would have probably twitched.

"Yes he is," said Zira. "Look at his eyes."

Cloud gulped nervously and did what his mother told him to.

Leon's storm blue eyes looked dull and unfocused. He would blink every now and then, but his gaze never left Cloud and Zira.

"I'm sorry," Cloud breathed. "Mother said they would probably be less suspicious of you if they found you hurt like this. Hopefully they'll think you were attacked by Outlanders since we're so close to the border, and they won't think you're one yourself."

Leon just stared blankly up at Cloud. His mind was in a terrible haze. It was getting harder and harder to form thoughts and hold onto them for more then a few seconds. He didn't even recognize the forms above him as his mate and Zira anymore. They were just blurs now.

They were talking above him, but it was only muffled sound in the background to him, and it was quickly being drowned out by the ringing in his ears.

"Come on, it's time to leave here," Zira said, turning to walk away.

"But Leon-"

"Will be fine," Zira cut in. "Some Pridelander will find him and tell Simba."

"What will Simba do to him?"

"He'll most likely help him." Zira made a disgusted sound. She had little doubt that Simba would help someone like Leon. The king was too soft, and the knowledge that it would be his downfall made her grin.

Cloud looked back to Leon and saw that his eyes were now closed. He must have finally fallen into unconsciousness. Cloud figured that it was probably a blessing for the other male. "I promise I'll never hurt you like this again," he whispered, gently nuzzling Leon's ear.

"Come on, Cloud," Zira whispered harshly.

Cloud gave Leon's unconscious form one more sad look before turning and staring the walk back to the Outlands with his mother.

------------

"I'm not seeing any bugs from up here," Said Zazu, flying lowly.

"Yeah, I'm not seeing any down here either," grumbled Timon, walking through the grass.

"Then let's just go back to Pride Rock," said the hornbill, landing by the meerkat and walking along with him. "This bug hunt has been completely fruitless. Let's wait until morning."

"No way!" Timon exclaimed, throwing his small arms up. "I'm telling you, Zazu, the bugs that come out at night taste so much better."

Zazu sighed. "I'm leaving now."

"Wait! Look at that big rock. Bugs love big rocks!"

"They love going under them, and I seriously doubt you could lift it up."

"Maybe Simba could," Timon mused out loud.

Zazu scoffed and prepared to take flight.

"Wait, wait. Let's at least take a look around the rock before giving up. Then if there is none we can just leave."

Zazu sighed again, he knew that this was the best deal he was going to get from the meerkat. "Fine then. Just don't take too long."

Timon scampered to the rock and begun looking closely at the ground around it. He found something when he walked around to the other side, but it was no bug. "Uh, Zazu. I found something."

"Really?" Zazu ran around the rock to join Timon, instantly freezing when he saw what the meerkat had found. "It's an Outlander!" he shrieked.

"Don't wake it up!" Timon shouted in panic.

"Come on, we have to tell Simba." Zazu took to the air and quickly flew off towards Pride Rock.

"Don't leave me with it!" Timon ran as fast as he could to keep up with the hornbill.

TBC.

------------

Thank you for reading.

Please review.


	3. A Dip in the Water Hole

Title: Rhythm of the Pride Lands  
Author: Meru Makai  
Pairing: CloudxLeon   
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing, I tells ya!  
Notes: Days are referred to as sunrises in this story.

Once again, thanks to everyone that reviewed. You all really help to encourage me.

------------

Chapter Three

A Dip in the Water Hole

"I was hunting bugs for a late night snack and I just found him laying here."

"He's an Outlander, he must be."

"That's not necessarily true. There are many other places he could be from."

"He's wounded, we have to make sure he's okay."

"He's an Outlander!"

"We don't know that for sure! And even if he is..."

"You can't be serious, Sarabi!"

"We should at least wait until he wakes up before casting judgment."

"Not you too, sire!"

Leon groaned and shifted. He wished those voices would stop yelling so much, his head was killing him.

"He's waking up."

With another soft groan, Leon slowly opened his eyes. When he could finally see straight, he was surprised to see a whole pride gathered around him. Most of their faces tensed upon his awakening, and some looked ready to pounce on him if the need arose.

"Who are you?" the only male of the pride asked, his voice stern and his eyes scrutinizing Leon

The question wasn't as easy to answer as Leon knew it should be. His mind felt muddled and it took him a few moments to come up with what he figured was his name. "I'm... Leon," he finally answered, though it sounded like he wasn't very sure.

"Where are you from?" the male asked.

"I'm from..." Leon gave the question great thought, but could only draw a blank. "I don't remember." He obviously wasn't a member of this pride, so why was he in their territory?

The male's features softened and he stepped closer to the injured lion. "What do you remember?"

"Be careful, Simba!" exclaimed Zazu, only to be ignored by Simba, and shushed by a few of the lionesses.

"I don't remember much of anything right now." Leon rubbed lightly at the side of his head in the hopes of soothing the pain. When he withdrew his paw it was smeared with blood.

"Maybe his head injury caused memory loss," said Nala.

"The wound is still fresh, his memory loss may just be temporary," said Sarabi.

"Or he could be lying," Zazu suggested.

"Enough, Zazu," Sarabi said. It was very rare that she was short with others, but Zazu's accusations were starting to agitate her. She had liked the injured lion from the moment he had opened his eyes. Something about him reminded her of Simba. "We're going to help him, right, Simba?" She asked her son.

Simba nodded, not taking his eyes off the dark lion. There was something about Leon that made Simba like him too. "Can you walk?"

"I'll be fine," Leon said, standing up on shaking legs.

"Simba, I don't think he'll be able to make it all the way back to Pride Rock," Nala said.

"We're not going straight to Pride Rock," said Simba. "We're going to Rafiki's first. He should have something to make Leon feel better."

As the pride made their way to Rafiki's, Simba and Sarabi walked on either side of Leon, wanting to be close in case he needed help.

"Would you like to stop and rest, cub?" Sarabi asked after walking for a while.

"No, I'm fine. And I'm not a cub." Leon frowned, making Sarabi smile fondly at him.

"There's no need to push yourself," Simba said.

"I'm fine, really," Leon insisted.

By the time they reached Rafiki's, Leon was close to panting. He flopped down in the cool grass and allowed himself to rest while Simba talked to Rafiki. The wise baboon looked Leon over and approved of him, easing away any of the unease the pride may have felt. Even Zazu was more tolerant of Leon after Rafiki deemed him to be of good character.

"I have just the thing to help him!" the baboon exclaimed. "It'll give him more then enough energy to make it to Pride Rock and it'll ease the pain in his noggin!"

Rafiki rushed into his tree and returned with half the shell of something that was filled with a mixture of crushed leaves and berries. Leon was hesitant to take the medicine, but the pounding in his skull and the encouraging looks from Simba and Sarabi soon convinced him to.

The mixture tasted as bad as he thought it would, but he soon forgot about it when his legs stopped shaking and the pain from his head wound eased up.

The walk to Pride Rock was much easier for Leon then the one to Rafiki's had been. He made it with little trouble, but was still fused over by Simba and Sarabi.

------------

_Four sunrises later_

Cloud stared down at the floor of the den from where he was sitting on a high ledge. He was deep in thought, wondering how Leon was doing.

Wembe, the Outland scouter, had confirmed that he was now living with Simba's pride, but what kind of progress he was making was unknown.

Zira walked into his field of vision, scowling up at him. "Your moping around is pathetic," she said. "Wembe says he's fine,"

"Wembe can only get so close. We have no idea how those Pridelanders are treating him," Cloud said.

"We didn't send him there to be pampered."

"What if they're ignoring him?" Cloud continued, not seeming to hear what his mother had said. "He'll get lonely, and he hates being alone. What if they're making him sleep in some cold, wet part of their den all by himself? He has nightmares when he sleeps alone."

"Enough!" Zira shouted. "I can't stand to hear you prattle on about that pathetic fool."

Cloud bit his tongue, suppressing his urge to defend Leon.

Zira was his mother, he couldn't oppose her...

------------

A pleasant breeze blew through the savanna, gently rustling grass and creating small ripples on the surface of the water hole a certain dark lion was lounging by.

Leon rolled onto his back and wiggled a bit, enjoying the feel of the soft, sun-warmed grass against his fur. He settled into a comfortable position and looked up at the blue sky with a contented sigh.

The head wound he had when he was first found was healing nicely, he just had to be mindful not to let his head rest against anything on that side while he slept.

His memories hadn't returned, but it hardly mattered to him. He was happy in the Pride Lands, and wanted to stay there.

His ear twitched when he heard footsteps. Rolling onto his side, he saw a gazelle approach the other side of the water hole from where he was. Not even sparing Leon a glance, the gazelle leaned down and begun to drink.

Leon stared at the gazelle for a few seconds, wondering if it had seen him there. The water hole wasn't very large, it should have been able to see him. "Um, excuse me," he called, standing up.

The gazelle's ears twitched and the ripples of water made from its drinking stopped as It lifted its head and looked at Leon. "Yes?" it asked in a very proper voice.

"I'm a lion," Leon said lamely.

The gazelle blinked at Leon a couple of times. "That you are."

"And... you're not scared of me?" Leon asked, baring some of his sharp teeth, just to remind the gazelle that he did indeed have them.

"Nah."

Leon's whiskers drooped as he frowned. "Why not?"

"Well, for one thing, you're not a lioness. They do most of the hunting. Now, if you were lady Sarabi, whoo boy would I be nervous. I've seen her leap over this very water hole and sink her teeth into the neck of whoever she's hunting. Don't get me wrong, she's very nice and she was a great queen, but when she's on the prowl you better watch out.'

Leon nodded. "Why else?"

"You just don't seem like the type."

"Type?"

The gazelle nodded. "You don't really seem like the predator type to me."

His pride wounded, Leon could only stammer a weak come back. "Oh,... oh, yeah?"

"Yup. You seem like a nice guy. Not at all the type to go around sinking your teeth into a fellow just for laughs," the gazelle said, oblivious to how he had offended the lion.

"I'll show you what kind of predator I am!" Leon yelled. He took a few steps back then ran forward and made an attempt to leap over the water hole. Before he could even revel in the feel of the wind blowing through his mane, it was replaced by the feel of water soaking every inch of him.

The first thing Leon heard when he stood up in the shoulder deep water was the gazelle laughing heartily. He would have glared at the gazelle, but his soaking mane was covering his eyes. He trudged miserably back to the side of the water hole he had started on and tried to shake the water out of his fur.

"I have to go now, funny lion," the gazelle said, still chuckling. "See you later."

"Yeah, bye," Leon grumbled, making another attempt to shake himself dry. He did a pretty good job of getting most of the water off his body, but his tail was still very wet since he couldn't shake it as well.

"It was a good effort."

Leon used his paw to comb his mane back and saw that Simba and Zazu were standing there. Both were lucky enough to have been standing out of range of the water Leon had shook off his fur.

It was a good thing for Leon that lions couldn't blush, at least not visibly. He was horrified that Simba had seen his pathetic attempt to jump over the water hole.

Zazu walked closer to Leon and put his wing on the dark lion's shoulder. "Oh, cheer up. It really was a good effort."

Leon huffed, still upset from his failure. "So? It wasn't good enough."

Zazu smiled at the memories the dark lion's behavior brought back. "Simba used to act the same way when he wasn't able to do something he tried for the first time."

"Simba not able to do something? No way," Leon said.

"Ah, but it's true," Zazu said. "The first time he tried to climb a tree was unforgettable. I had to go get his father so he could help him down."

"At the time I was embarrassed that my father had to see me that way, but now it's another fond memory I have of him," Simba said.

"So this will be a fond memory? I can live with that," Leon said, smiling. He wanted as many good memories of Simba as possible.

Much to Leon's delight, Zazu begun telling him more stories about Simba when he was a cub. The hornbill told the stories with a laugh in his voice and Leon listened with great interest. Simba was a favorite subject for both of them.

All the talk going on about the past reminded Simba that he had forgotten to ask Leon if he had regained any memories yet.

He didn't want to upset Leon, but he felt it had to be brought up. Simba didn't want Leon to lose himself like he had after the death of his father.

Hopefully he would be able to think of a delicate way to bring it up.

------------

Wembe is Swahili for blade. I named her myself since none of Zira's miscellaneous lionesses were ever addressed by name. I had wanted her name to have something to do with scouting or spying since she's the Outland scouter, but none of the words were cool enough in Swahili.

Thanks for reading.

If you review, I'll love you long time!


	4. Hornbills Can Give Very Long Speeches

**Title: Rhythm of the Pride Lands  
Author: Meru Makai  
Pairing: CloudxLeon  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing, I tells ya!  
Notes: This chapter took longer cause it went through a complete rewrite.**

**------------**

**"Wait, Leon, where are you going?" Zazu asked from the sky. He swooped lower and flew alongside Leon as he walked.**

**"I'm just going for a walk," Leon answered.**

**Zazu flew forward and landed on a rock that put him at eye level with Leon. "Before you go wandering off, there are a few places that I feel you should avoid."**

**"Okay, I'll make sure to stay away from them then," Leon said, hoping to out smart Zazu and avoid the lengthy speech he knew the hornbill could easily deliver.**

**"Ah, good. I'm glad you're so responsible - wait. I didn't tell you about them yet." Zazu laughed. "My, how silly both of us are."**

**"Yeah, Silly," Leon said, sitting down and hunching over sadly. He could feel his mind begin to wander as Zazu begun his speech.**

**At least the hornbill wasn't apologizing again for how he had treated Leon the first night they found him. Zazu had apologized on six different occasions the next day.**

**Zazu stopped his speech mid-sentence when he saw Simba approaching them. "Ah sire, I'm glad you're here. I was just telling Leon about places that could be dangerous before he goes for a walk."**

**Simba offered Leon a sympathetic look before addressing Zazu. "Would you mind if I interrupted you? I want to have a talk with Leon."**

**"No problem at all. We'll just have to continue this later, Leon," Zazu said.**

**"I can hardly wait," Leon said insincerely.**

**It fooled Zazu, though. He bid farewell to both lions then flew of to give them some privacy.**

**Leon watched the hornbill's small form vanish in the distance before turning to Simba with a smile. "What did you want to talk about?"**

**Simba took a breath and cleared his throat. "I wanted to ask about your lost memories. Have you regained any?"**

**"Nope."**

**"Does it bother you?"**

**"I'm... not sure, actually." Leon frowned from the conflict he felt over the matter. He flicked his tail back and forth a few times as he thought, paying little mind to the swishing noise the grass made from the movement. "I am very curious about where I came from, but if I remember I may have to leave here."**

**Simba's own expression became somber.**

**The understanding in the king's eyes encouraged Leon to continue. "I know that I was most likely just wandering around, belonging to no pride before I came here, but I just can't convince myself to let it go at that. I still somehow feel that there may be someone hurting because I'm gone. If I remember and there really is someone, I would have to leave the Pride Lands to be with them." Leon averted his eyes before continuing. "I don't want to leave here, but the thought of losing someone important by giving up on my lost memories makes me feel terrible. My chest even starts to hurt when I think that way."**

**Simba was amazed by just how much Leon was like he used to be before he returned to the Pride Lands. His father had helped him realize who he was, and he hoped he could do that for Leon. "Do you want to know what I think?"**

**Leon nodded, hoping the king wasn't going to tell him that he really was as selfish as he felt.**

**"I think you already know what you want to do, you're just afraid to take the first steps towards doing it."**

**"But what if I'm not able to remember?"**

**"You'll be able to. I know you will," Simba said, the confidence he felt in Leon clear in his voice.**

**Leon found it hard to believe that his memories would be so easily regained, but the faith Simba had in him gave him hope.**

**"Your mind doesn't recall who it is that is missing you, but your heart does. I think that alone proves how important who ever it may be is to you."**

**"I think you're right," Leon breathed. Things were starting to make some kind of jumbled sense, but it was all happening too quickly. "It kind of scares me."**

**Simba nodded, sympathizing greatly with the dark lion. "It is a lot to take in."**

**"I need to think this all through," Leon mumbled, already falling into his thoughts.**

**"Why don't you continue the walk you were going on before Zazu stopped you," Simba suggested. "It might help to clear your head."**

**Leon nodded and stood up to leave.**

**"No matter what happens, you'll always be welcome here," Simba said as Leon walked past him, causing the dark lion to pause and flash him a grateful smile before continuing his walk.**

**------------**

**Cloud paced back and forth swiftly, a distressed look on his face.**

**He was beginning to doubt his loyalty to Zira. It was getting harder and harder for him to see the sense in all this, when it had always been so easy before.**

**He had asked himself many times why he fallowed Zira so blindly, and the answer had always been simply that she was his mother. At one time, that had been enough, but that was quickly changing.**

**All fallowing Zira had gained him was the absence of his mate and the scorn of his sister.**

**And despite all he did for her, Zira didn't even seem to like him that much. She wasn't one to show affection, but there were times when she would look at Vitani with fondness in her eyes. She never looked at Cloud like that. She rarely even talked to him when it didn't have something to do with the Pride Lands.**

**Vitani walked up to Cloud and paused before speaking to him. She went through a mental list of other things she could be doing to see if any of them were better then talking to him. They weren't. "What's your problem?" she asked, fallowing the tense movements of her brother with her eyes.**

**Cloud halted, surprised that Vitani had spoken to him. She hadn't said a word to him since Leon left. "I'm just thinking."**

**"About what?" Vitani asked after once again going through that mental list of other possible things to do. They still weren't any better then talking to Cloud.**

**"Everything. Everything we're doing to take the Pride Lands. The more I think about it, the more pointless it all seems," Cloud answered.**

**"You're just now getting that?" Vitani asked, rolling her eyes in disgust. "Your mate is gone and you're just now realizing how stupid all this is?"**

**"He's not gone! He'll come back."**

**Vitani laughed bitterly. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Wembe just came back from the Pride Lands with news on Leon's progress. It seems he's become quite close to Simba and his pride. So close in fact that Wembe doesn't think he'll go through with the plan."**

**Cloud grit his teeth. "She's wrong. Leon wouldn't abandon us." Leon had only gone through with the plan because he loved Cloud. If he abandoned the plan that would mean he had chosen Simba over him...**

**Vitani laughed again, humorlessly. "Do you actually think Leon would ever be the same if he went through with the plan? He would forever have the blood of an innocent king on his paws, and it would be your fault. Oh, he'd still love you, I don't doubt that. But no matter how much he would try, he would always see you as the reason he killed Simba."**

**"Stop it, Vitani!" Cloud shouted, his voice close to cracking.**

**Taking pity on Cloud, Vitani took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down. She had finally said the things she had wanted to for a while now, but she still couldn't help feeling bad for her brother. "Cloud," she begun calmly, "Leon loves you more then our mother ever will. It was cruel of you to choose her over him."**

**"I know..."**

**"I even love you more then she ever will," Vitani added to prove her point.**

**"I get it! Geez..." Cloud sighed and stared hard at Pride Rock in the distance. "I just want is to see Leon. I wish we could just go get him and leave all this behind."**

**"What's stopping us from doing that?" Vitani asked, her cheeky grin making an appearance.**

**"Nothing," Cloud said slowly, smiling for the first time since Leon left.**

**"Then let's be on our way!" Vitani yelled in excitement before taking off towards the Pride Lands with Cloud not too far behind.**

**------------**

**Leon paid no mind to where he was going as he walked, knowing he'd easily be able to get back to Pride Rock since it was visible from** **anywhere in the Pride Lands.**

**He gasped and came to an abrupt stop when he looked up just in time to see that he was mere inches from walking right into a tree.**

**Deciding it was probably best to stop walking around while in such deep thought, he walked around the tree and laid down in its shade.**

**The last thing he needed was another memory-taking blow to the head.**

**Though, the idea of having to be found all over again by Simba and his pride was kind of funny. Of course, he wouldn't be able to appreciate the irony, so it wouldn't be worth it anyway.**

**Or maybe a blow to the head would bring his memories back.**

**Hopefully he'd be able to remember on his own and it wouldn't come to that. Just the thought of another head wound made Leon's current one ache. **

**He laid his head down on his front paws and closed his eyes, clearing his mind of thought and hoping the headache would soon go away.**

**Only moments later, a soft fluttering sound piqued his curiosity and made him open his eyes to see what it was.**

**A blue butterfly was sitting on a rock a few feet away from him, fluttering its wings every few seconds.**

**Leon watched the butterfly's fluttering wings until his eyelids begun to feel heavy. He closed them just to rest his eyes, but soon fell asleep.**

**------------**

**"It's just as you predicted, Cloud has left," Wembe told Zira, having watched Cloud and Vitani leave from atop den.**

**Zira grinned, extremely pleased. "It seems that Leon's incompetence will pay off after all."**

**"How so?" Wembe asked.**

**"Cloud is most likely blinded by jealousy. He could go there and end up killing Simba himself." Zira examined her paw casually, her grin still in place. "Or Simba could kill him. Either way, I benefit."**

**"Vitani went with him."**

**Zira groaned. "I had hoped that she would stay and side with me."**

**"She hasn't necessarily sided with Cloud. Leon's her friend and she probably just wants to see him," Wembe reasoned.**

**"If she has sided with him, she'll have to be gotten rid of too," Zira said darkly. "I swear, I'll kill Leon myself if it comes to that. Vitani is the only thing I have left to remember Scar by."**

**------------ **

**Thanks for reading! **

**Please tell me what you thought. I'll love you long time if you review. **


	5. Awaken to Blue

Title: Rhythm of the Pride Lands  
Author: Meru Makai  
Pairing: CloudxLeon  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing, I tells ya!  
Notes: I rushed a little to post the last chapter, so I made some mistakes when I formatted it. I'm sorry about that. I learned my lesson though.

Sorry this chapter took so long. I started school in the middle of writing this. Then I got hooked on the Half-Life games.

Anyway, a big thanks to the reviewers. Your feedback helps a lot.

* * *

Chapter Five  
Awaken to Blue

Cloud and Vitani had slowed their pace to a walk when they got some ways into the Pride Lands. Cloud had been getting a little tired, and their running had been freaking out the non-lion animals.

"So," Vitani begun, just to break the silence that had fallen over her and Cloud ever since they entered the Pride Lands. When Cloud didn't say anything or even acknowledge that she had spoken, she decided to say something she knew would get him talking. "This is such a nice place. I wouldn't blame Leon if he wanted to stay here instead of coming with us."

Cloud broke away from his thoughts only long enough to say, "he wouldn't do that."

Vitani smiled, glad that Cloud had taken the bait. "Yeah, he wouldn't stay just to live somewhere nice. But maybe he would stay because of a certain king."

"You're cruel, Vitani," Cloud grumbled miserably. She had hit right onto what he had been worrying about.

"I know," Vitani said proudly.

o0o0o0o0o

Zazu flew high over the pride Lands, his keen eyes scanning the ground for Leon. Simba had assured him the dark lion would be okay on his own, but Zazu still felt he should check on him. No one would even have to know that he did if he flew high enough.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally spotted Leon sleeping under a tree. His first instinct was to land by the lion and tell him that he should go back to Pride Rock if he wanted to sleep, but Zazu had promised himself that he would only check on Leon, not fuss over him.

As he was turning to fly in a different direction, Zazu caught something out of the corner of his eye that almost made his wings freeze in shock.

Two unfamiliar lions were in the Pride Lands.

The nervous hornbill swallowed thickly and flew closer to them, keeping up his high altitude so he wouldn't be easily spotted by them.

He didn't know who the male lion was, but he gasped and immediately turned towards Pride Rock when he recognized the lioness as Vitani. He had to alert Simba as quickly as possible.

He was just glad that Leon wasn't in their path.

o0o0o0o0o

Cloud's whiskers twitched in annoyance when the same blue butterfly that had landed on various parts of his head eight times already did it again, this time on his nose. "Get off!" he shouted, jerking his head to the side to get the insect with very tickly legs off of his face.

Vitani paid Cloud's outburst no mind, too busy watching a panic stricken bird fly off. "I think that Simba will soon know of our presence here."

"Who cares?" Cloud grumbled. "I'm not a part of this stupid war anymore. I'm only here for Leon."

"I'm actually pleased with you right now, Cloud," Vitani said. "Someday I may even come to like you instead of just tolerating you."

Cloud's sarcastic retort quickly turned into an outraged holler when the blue butterfly had the audacity to once again land on his face.

The blue insect had the decency to get off of the lion after he shouted, but that wasn't good enough for Cloud anymore. He began to chase the butterfly, having been pushed over the edge by its sheer rudeness.

Vitani just shook her head, smirking. She didn't bother running after Cloud, knowing that she wouldn't be missing much since he would probably still be making a fool of himself by the time she caught up with him.

o0o0o0o0o

Still half asleep, Leon was close to panicking when he opened his eyes and could only see blue. His vision was miraculously returned when the blue butterfly flew off of the bridge of his nose and fluttered gently onto a nearby tree, somehow managing to keep itself from bursting into flames while the force of Leon's glare was on it.

"You're not getting away from me so easily, butterfly!"

The angry shout was fallowed by the sound of approaching pawsteps. It seemed that Leon hadn't been the only one to be made a fool of by the butterfly. He gave the blue insect a smug look, mocking it silently for the wrath it had incurred.

When mocking the unresponsive butterfly proved to be no fun, Leon turned his attention to the tall grass in the distance that was blocking his view of whatever it was that was approaching.

The weight of the steps sounded like that of a lions, but the voice that shouted had been male. But he and Simba were the only male lions in the Pride Lands, so Leon ruled that out, settling on the idea that it was probably a cheetah.

A very heavy cheetah...

Leon's guess was blown away when a male lion burst through the tall grass, the spikes at the top of his oddly shaped golden mane bouncing as he ran towards where Leon and the butterfly were.

Wanting to be on equal ground with the other lion, Leon stood up, using the time it took to do so to feel utterly foolish for being naive enough to think that no other lions would ever enter the Pride Lands.

Cloud gasped and stopped running when he saw Leon, his narrowed eyes widening and losing all traces of anger. "Leon!" he exclaimed with all the giddiness of a cub. Getting harassed by the butterfly seemed worth it to him now. Fallowing it had led him straight to Leon.

Cloud closed the gap between them and threw his arms around his surprised mate. Leon was about to push the other away, but Cloud's scent and the weight of his arms around him made something in Leon's head click.

Familiar. The other male felt familiar to him.

Craving more of the new feeling, Leon put one of his arms around the other and buried his face in the bright fur of the unknown male's neck. Hazy images filled his mind, lost memories coming so close to returning, but still staying just out of his reach.

'He still likes me!' Cloud's mind shouted with short-lived glee. He was beyond happy that Leon was still willing to be near him, but that didn't make everything okay. "I'm sorry, Leon. I'm so sorry," he said, his arms tightening around Leon.

Leon turned his head to the side so his voice wouldn't be muffled by Cloud's fur when he spoke. "You know who I am?"

"Huh?" Cloud pulled back a little from the embrace so he could see Leon's face. "What do you mean, Leon?" he asked, the confusion in his voice bordering fear.

Looking into the unsure blue eyes of the lion holding him was beginning to make Leon sad. "I don't know who I am. I woke up here in the Pride Lands a while ago only remembering my name."

Realization hit Cloud hard. "Oh no," he whispered, his mind playing over and over again the image of himself bashing Leon's head into a rock.

Devastation spread across Cloud's features, worrying Leon. "Are you okay?" he asked, his arm tightening around the other.

"It's my fault your memories are gone," Cloud admitted softly.

"Your fault?" Leon questioned.

"I..." Cloud's voice faltered before he could get much out. He cleared his throat and forced himself to make eye contact with Leon. "I... bashed your head into a rock."

"Why?" Leon blurted out in surprise, his eyes widening. The bright lion had displayed a clear affection for him, so he hadn't expected there to be any violence between them.

"It was all part of a really stupid plan," Averting his eyes, Cloud looked down at how their embrace pressed the contrasting colors of their fur together. The sight made something that had been confining him tightly begin to unravel in his head. "I don't even know why I went along with it anymore. Why? Why would I ever do such a thing? What was I thinking?"

"I don't know," Leon said softly, rubbing Cloud's arm gently, hoping to soothe him. "Something about you feels familiar, but I just can't remember. Could you tell me what your name is so I can begin there?"

"It's Cloud."

Memories came even closer to the surface of Leon's mind as he slowly repeated the other's name. "What are we to each other?" he asked, needing to know more. He was so close to remembering something, he just needed a little help.

"We're mates." Cloud's voice lacked the pride he usually said that with.

"That somehow isn't surprising," Leon said with a laugh. Cloud knowing just how to make their bodies fit perfectly together when they hugged hadn't gone unnoticed by Leon.

"Wow, Cloud, you actually found him," Vitani said, walking towards the pair. It was a shame that Cloud wasn't busy making a fool of himself, but seeing Leon again more then made up for it.

"That's Vitani. She's my sister and a really good friend of yours," Cloud said, answering the question Leon was about to ask. He let go of the dark lion and the two turned to face Vitani.

"Why are you explaining things to him?"

Cloud took a few seconds to fidget, pulling a few blades of grass out of the ground with one of his front paws before answering. "He lost his memories."

Vitani gasped and looked at Leon with worry in her eyes. "How?"

"I hit my head, but that isn't important anymore," Leon said, sensing that Cloud didn't want to tell his sister what had happened.

Vitani knew they were keeping something from her, but she let it go since there didn't seem to be any ill will about whatever may have happened between them.

Cloud offered Leon a grateful smile. "He's right. All that matters is that we've found Leon, and we're going to help him get his memories back."

"Right," Vitani nodded. "We should get out of here. The sooner we leave the Pride Lands the better."

"Why leave so soon?" asked a sinister voice that seemed to come from all directions. "The real fun is just about to begin."

Cloud and Vitani froze, knowing who the voice belonged to.

"Mother?" Cloud asked with unease after scanning the surrounding Savannah and finding no signs of Zira.

"Stop calling me mother. The charade is over now."

All at once every sound in the Pride Lands stopped, giving way to foreboding silence. Dark clouds suddenly filled the once clear sky, blocking out the sun/.

Tendrils of darkness rose from the ground, making an almost sick feeling settle itself in the stomachs of the three lions watching. The darkness begun to swirl and soon gave form to Zira in all her dreadful glory.

"I would like to say it was fun while is lasted, Cloud, but it wasn't. You and Leon have been nothing but an annoyance ever since you two came to the Outlands." Zira paused to make a sound of disgust. "It was hard enough to pretend you were my child, but there was no way I would disgrace Scar's memory by pretending you were his son."

"What are you saying?" Vitani asked, voicing the question that Cloud was too shocked to ask himself.

"Cloud isn't your brother, and he isn't my son."

"But how-"

"There's no sense in explaining it right now." Zira said. "Nothing concerning Cloud and Leon will matter soon." She crouched slightly and took a few slow steps forward, similar to how she would stalk prey.

"I'm not going to let you hurt them, mother," Vitani growled.

"You'd be wise not to side with them, Vitani. I would rather not kill you too."

Vitanimade a very displeased sound and took up a defensive stance, clearly showing whose side she had chosen.

Zira growled. It appeared she was too late to stop Leon and Cloud from corrupting Vitani. Now she would have to kill the only child she ever got to have with Scar. The thought made her realize something and she begun to laugh. "If you don't want to stay with me, then I'll send you to your father."

Cloud scoffed in disgust. It was hard to believe Zira's words about him not being her son, but he was starting to hope they were true.

"You're the one that'll be joining Scar if you don't leave them alone, Zira!" Nala threatened as she, Simba and the rest of the pride ran up to where the four outlanders were.

"Never thought I'd see the day you stick up for me, Nala," Vitani said, regarding the lioness over her shoulder.

Nala smiled softly. That was the first time Vitani had ever spoken to her without scorn in her voice. "We saw how friendly you two were with Leon from Pride Rock before we came here."

"It looked like a reunion of old friends," Simba added, looking at Leon proudly.

"It was," Leon said happily.

Zira sneered. "Since when have pridelanders ever accepted and defended outlanders?"

"You're the one that has hurt your pride the most, Zira. You condemned them to live in that terrible place just so you could stay close to the Pride Lands and plot your revenge," Simba said.

"Hmph." Zira was hardly affected by the king's words. "Say what you will, but that plotting will soon pay off. No one will stand in my way. I now have the power to take the Pride Lands on my own!"

Zira's threat would have had much more impact if the blue butterfly hadn't flown over to her and started to flutter around her head in the middle of it.

The lioness growled low in her throat, eyes narrowing. She swatted hard at the butterfly while it was in front of her face.

The force of the blow instantly killed the innocent butterfly. Its wings stilled and it fell from the air, landing on the ground by Zira's paws.

Zira was glad to be rid of the annoyance and the horror on some of the faces of the lions before her was an added bonus. "Since I'm so vastly outnumbered, I'll show you all my true power."

She took a few steps back, her stance going rigid and a very smug grin spreading across her sharp features. Darkness once again rose from the ground, engulfing Zira.

"What is that?" gasped Nala.

"It's nothing good, that's for sure," Sarabi said, looking at the darkness grimly.

"Hey, Cloud," Leon said, looking to the bright lion. "Do you get the feeling that you've seen that stuff before? You know, even before Zira used it to appear here."

"Actually, I do," Cloud answered. He was glad he wasn't the only one getting that feeling.

The darkness around Zira begun to make her grow larger, finally stopping when she was seven times larger then her normal size.

TBC

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Thank you for reading.

Review you if time long you love I'll.


End file.
